Original story: Rockstar has finally revealed the first proper gameplay footage of Grand Theft Auto 5.

The new footage shows glimpses of the game's three main protagonists - Michael, Trevor and Franklin - across missions and free-roaming gameplay.

The video, titled "an introduction to the world of Grand Theft Auto 5", introduces the strip malls and urban decay, the expensive stores and towering mountains of Rockstar's re-imagining of southern California.

Narration describes the three main characters' tales as one large, interwoven story. Players can smoothly switch between vantage points - one character holding a hostage while another, on a rooftop across the street, follows the scene down the scope of a sniper rifle.

Michael, Trevor and Franklin are shown in a quick-access dial on the bottom right of the screen, and each has their own stamina, strength, stealth, driving and flying stats, as well as lung capacity.

Switching between them while in free-roam mode sees the camera pull out across the map and pick up on another character in the middle of another activity.

The game's shooting and hunting mechanics are straight out of Red Dead Redemption, while new systems and mini-games allow you to cycle, parachute and play tennis. You can also play the in-game stock market (take that, Animal Crossing) and purchase real estate.

The trailer concludes with a quick glimpse at multiplayer mode Grand Theft Auto Online - where numerous players are able to take charge of all the world has to offer together: flying planes, racing cars, or just chilling on the deck in your penthouse flat.

GTA5 is due for release worldwide on 17th September for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. There's been no word (so far) on a PC or next-gen console version, although Rockstar Leeds posted this job ad today asking for PC graphics programmers to work on its "latest titles".